Midnight Nurse

FRUITY

2010-10-06T23:17:00.003-06:00

I AM PREGNANT! 1o weeks my friends :) This is cRazY!!

Right now I have a 2 inch, 0.3 oz lime-sized little one in me... WHOA!

Not even kidding

2010-04-26T22:42:00.002-06:00

OH WOW! So my friend at work posted this and it is SO what we have the pleasure of seeing at our place of work... mind you, only sometimes, but we seriously get these kinds of patients. FUNNY!!!

LOL!!!

whining

2010-03-24T21:43:00.001-06:00

Here I am writing a blog, when I should probably be doing something else. I hate that word should cause it just makes me feel guilty - oh well, it's most likely the right word to use in this sitch anyway. I'm gonna whine:

I have all this school work that I am struggling getting motivated to do. I feel like a complete loser when my mentor calls to see how I've come on my work and I haven't "met my goals" or whatever - grrrr

Works been great, but busy, and i've been working lots-a weekends so I haven't been able to see much of Mick lately. It's been a little better and I signed up for next month to not do that again, so that will be good, but until then I'm missing him :(

I've been getting a little depressed again - SUCK

I'm trying to exercise (cause I know it helps me feel better) but I took like 2 weeks off from exercise (cause I was feeling all ugly and gross and just wanted to sleep during my free time - HA, what free time...) No wonder I am feeling depressed when I'm not taking as good-a' care of myself - DUH SHERYL!

Things at home a good, family is good, work is good... I'm just not feeling the bestest and it makes me mad when I don't really have anything that should be making me feel down, and I still do. URGH!!

Just wanted to be real for a minute and not just post that everything is great... lalala... cause sometimes Sheryl doesn't feel great when everything around her is great. DANGIT!

Whatever

My oh My

2010-01-29T09:12:00.009-07:00

Man, I need to find more time -grrrr. Oh well, so is life.

My new job is FANTASTIC and I'm learnin a freakin ton. I just was approved for benefits and all that and I'M FO' SHO' LOVIN THAT! Even more is all the new stuff I'm seeing and learning. I get to work with brain cancer patients (after a craniotomy or lobectomy), seizure patients (all types... including pseudo seizures - those are always fun), stroke patients, traumatic brain injuries, prisoner patients, tach patients, vents, and a little overflow of anything else - WOW- Talk about gettin used to a variety of diagnoses! All the while they have classes for me to attend to become a little more comfortable with things. I attended an 8-hour ECG class that was followed with a 3 1/2 hour test - IT WAS INSANE. But, I passed the test with flying colors - woot woot. I'm taking a vent class on Monday too... thankfully this one's only 2 hours - YESSS!

I'm struggling to finish this paper I have for school that I've been workin on for about.. oh.. forever it seems. I don't know what my deal is - grrr. Anyway, maybe this weekend... Maybe? Yes? Hope so.

Mick is pretty much the best thing ever. We've been having a good time lately. Well, he's still struggling with his tummy issues... can't figure out what the real casue is yet. He's seeing the gastroenterologist on Wednesday - we'll see if anything comes of that. But, we've been having more time together it seems and we've gone on a few dates and all that. He's so great - been real underdstanding lately and that's been amazing. I LOVE THIS GUY! We're coming up on 6 months as Mr and Mrs Rasband in 2 days - YEP.. 2 DAYS!!! Awww cute!

I'm headed up to see my bestie in a few weeks - WAHOO!! She's the bomb.com and this time I get to go hang out in her neck of the woods and check out Boise. Can't wait for some chick time. SHELLY, I LOVE YOU, MAN! hehe

So, I'm gonna be an auntie all over again x2. MaryAnn is due at the end of February and Shelby is due in August - SO FUN! I LOOOVE being an auntie. 2 friends are havin lil babes too! Fun times :)

So, yeah... just pluggin along with work and school and all that. Lovin life. I'm out-

New Jobby Job

2009-12-20T04:52:00.007-07:00

Yes yes, I have a new, more permanent (I hope) home away from home. I'm really good at not fully letting go of one job before the next, trying to keep doing several at once, and just getting exausted. A little while ago I thought I would be adventurous and take part in the job hunt that so many are forced into these days. But I was doing it to find something where I could belong and feel a part of for a little longer than say... oh... 8 months. I was a bit sick of just doing whatever nursing job that was easy and paid more - BORING! What a waste of a nursing career. Not really a waste, but I realized that I LOOOOVE learning and want to continue doing that instead of just doing the same ole thing every day.

At first I applied for a position on the mother/baby/newborn unit at the hospital that falls under the greatest school ever - YES - the University of Utah Hospital. I had the job, but it was taking DAYS to actualy get started with orientation and everything. When I say 'days' I mean 3 months of "I'll know you'll be able to start by the end of the week" kind of DAYS! I got tired of that in quick second. During one of my frustrated-type "what the H is going on with me starting" king of phone calls with the nurse recruiter, she suggested I apply to the Neuro Acute Care unit cause they were going to start looking for someone. Why the H not?? So I did. And - they hired me and started me within 2 weeks of my interview date :) MUCH CELEBRATION!!!!!!!!!! I was completely suprised becasue I had NO confidence walkin into the interview - neuro acute care... aka what? But I was impressed by all of the excitement of the unit. The manager and nurse supervisor we telling me all about how much I would learn and all of the crazy things I'd see. They said after I am here for a year, I can go to the Neuro ICU if I want. They said afetr that, I could pretty much get a job where ever: ER, ICU, Flight nursing, etc. HOLY WOW... Seriously?

Yep - I've already seen some craziness that has taught me TONZA! Open skulls to release intracranial pressure, cerebral spinal fluid drains (it really is a nice straw-like color like they teach in school), bubble studies in the heart to find holes, labs that are SOOOOO abnormal, - ya know... craziness. I'm on my 4th week. 2 more to go until I'm takin' on my own load of patients. Everyone here has been great - introducing themselves to me, asking me if I need help with anything, reminding me that they are here to help, making me laugh and feel welcome, and telling me I am doing a good job too. SWEET! I'm sayin, "SO FAR SO GOOD!"

In the past I've been really good at hangin onto more than one job cause I feel like I could help bring in more dollars if I work those 1 or 2 extra days. Well, guess what - I MISS MY HUSBAND and I GET TIRED and I'M IN SCHOOL and I WANT TO DO OTHER MORE FUN THINGS and I WANT TO JUST HAVE ONE JOB!! I think I've found the one job I've been waiting for to let the other go.

Lil Things

2009-11-14T15:58:00.007-07:00

Lil Things I Quite Enjoy:

Hot cocoa that has tons of the pressurized whipped cream ontop; Watching football in the front room of our house while eatin "super nachos;" Smoothies; Having our house decorated; Pedicures; Crying when I watch the Biggest Loser and being a dork about it; Taking naps cuddled in a comforter while it's snowing outside; Dumb disaster movies; Putting tuna in my mac n' cheese; Hangin with family; When I can get my hair to be curly without being frizzy; When I can make a good meal and plan it so everything is done at the same time; When Charlie comes to sit by me and stays even when I stop petting him; Wigglin my toes in the morning as I wake up; Norah Jones; So You Think You Can Dance; Apps for silly games on my iPhone that are 99cents or FREE; Iced venti non-fat caramel macchiatos; Singing ballads all-out when I drive; That Charlie always has a scarf/bandana thing on; Sunsets; Thunder and lightning storms; Classic Disney movies; Yoga; Star gazing; Strawberry shortcake; Utes football; Sweater weather; Going up the canyon in the Fall; Waking up in the morning with nowhere to go for a few hours; Olive Garden; Mascara that doesn't clump my lashes together; Spontaneous phone calls from Idaho; When I can walk in any kind of heel without tripping or walking like I have to pee; Driving with only me on the road while snow covers the ground and is falling lightly, and listening to Christmas classics.

Hello BUSY!!!!

2009-10-24T19:14:00.020-06:00

Hello there friends.

WOW! So, for some reason I thought things would be a little bit calmer after getting married. I guess it is in a way, but my time not spent on wedding stuff is now spent on school and more work - HA!

Yeah - CRAZY BUSY LADY LATELY.

I'm back in school to get my Bachelors in Nursing. I'm actually really enjoying it! I was kinda freaked about persuing my degree on an online school, but Western Governor's has been AWESOME. I feel like I've got a ton of support with the mentors they have (who call me once a week to check in) and with the set up they've got going. I'm moving right along through my program too! My next thing is to tackle statistics -BLAH! Wish me luck with that beast - YIKES!

I've accepted a new job that will hopefully simplify my life. Yes yes, I think I'll be a normal person with just one jobby job - I KNOW... what a concept, right? I've been trying to get on at the University of Utah Hospital because their benefits are unmatched for someone who wants to keep going to school. So, I've been applying for 2 months and I got a job offer on Wednesday. Neuro/Acute Trauma Critical Care here I come... WOOT WOOT! I had 2 other offers (within 2 days) and I'm confident about my decision and super excited. I am going to learn SO MUCH and I think that's the most exciting part. It will help me to be a better nurse in so many ways. I will work 3 shifts, 12-hours each, so that will give me 4 days off!! What am I gonna do with myself?

I have had some time to hang with family and that's been wonderful. I love the fall and all of the festivities that come with it. Mick and I started off the fall with a drive up the canyon to admire the beauty that's surrounding us.

And of course we took Charlie.

And we even saw a nudist ranch - hmmm.

Then, we headed off to CORNBELLYS at Thanksgiving Point. That was tons of fun - just like every year. It's great to see Cooper and Owen soak it all in too! That CORNBELLYS is expensive though - what the crap! Oh well - it's worth the festivus with the fam.

Mandy, Monique and I got all witched up for Gardner Villiage's Witches Night Out. That was a ton of fun and got me into the Halloween spirit. Those gals are so cute. Gotta say I LOVE MY IN-LAW FAMILY! Monique was SO cute and had us over before the event and prepared the most delicious soup (all decorated with halloween dishes) - so we weren't starved lil witches for the evening. BUT, word to the wise - if ya want to get anything to eat or drink at Witches Night(scones, hot cocoa, or EVEN WATER), you'd better go before "night" cause you'll stand in line for about 2 hours - DANGIT!

YAY for FALL FOOTBALL! I'm super into College Football and it's a wonderful time of year for that. It's nice to banter with family over BYU vs. Utah and all that stuff. It's fun to get excited and talk about all of it with my fam and Mick's fam. Yes, it gets to an unhealthy level at times, but mostly it's fun fun fun. GO UTES!

We have had a lot of family time with some great losses as well. Mick had his parents come out from Hawaii to attend a family funeral. There was another funeral in Idaho of an aunt. My grandpa passed too. Now Mick's parents are coming back out for another funeral. All of this loss has made me thinnk about things. It makes me see what's really important. It's not money, it's not work, it's not just going through day by day trying to get things done. I've been trying to prioritize things. I'm trying to be more kind to the ones I love - more patient - more understanding. I'm trying to better myself with getting more school. I'm trying to put my finances in order so I don't feel the perpetual need to work-work-work to pay the bills - I want to use that extra time from not working so much and spend with family and friends. I feel motivated to do these things- I think grandpa is helping me.

2009-08-07T08:13:00.009-06:00

Wedding Memories!!!!!!!!!

So, here are some pics that friends have uploaded for me... THANKS GUYS;)

~Tomorrow's the big day and we're excited!!~

~The Ceremony~

~Right after the ceremony - taking pics with family and friends~

~Hangin before and during the reception~

~and... we're on our way~

IT WAS SO WONDERFUL!!

And, we're on our way to the cruise! See ya soon!

Other pics soon to come...

16 Days and Counting

2009-07-08T08:22:00.022-06:00

16 days til the best day in my life - OH BOY!!!!!

So, yes, things are stressful and hectic at times... and I forget things, then remember at the last minute... and I'm working tons... and trying to fit in summer fun... special time with just Mick and me... and family time... and me time... and exercise time... and sleep... and..... wedding planning and... and... and...

WELL - I HAVEN'T BEEN BLOGGIN' MUCH!!

I'm sorry friends! I still think of all of ya.

Anyway, I noticed I haven't blogged in over a month -YIKES! So, lets see...
We went to Green River and I said I would post pics... yeah... little late on that one, but I'm doing a whole post on it. I'll work on it today, so stay tuned ;)

With my tummy... not much better. Oh well. I did that colon cleanse thing, with not a lot of result. Yes, more than usual (which is a plus I suppose), but I was expecting more I guess. I talked with my sweet grammee about some of her ideas for the good ole' colon. She's super into the homeopathic and alternative health medicine stuff and she sent me all this information that she's been keeping for years in her file cabinets. She's SO CUTE! So, I've browsed, but need to decide on what to attempt next. Dun Dun Duuuuunnnnnn - Scary!

THE WEDDING -

Man! It's been great planning, but there's SO much to do! Everyone has been SPECTACULAR in helping me and Mick and I appreciate it SO much! We finished the invitations and sent them out!! THAT IS SUCH A WEIGHT OFF THE SHOULDERS! Those dang invitations were hanging over our heads like nothing else. Now we just need to hear back from poeple to get a count.

I got my bridal pics done! I love that dress... love it more everytime I see it on. It feels so great to feel so beautiful for my sweetheart. Can't believe how awesome the pics are. It was pouring rain that day and I was having a mini meltdown about it... well, I guess that part started when we went up to Red Butte and forgetful Sheryl didn't call to set the appointment and they already had someone there and said, "we don't let 2 brides into the gardens at the same time." I was all ready... hair and make-up done... just standing there staring at these people like a lil puppy dog. Anyway, my sisters and mom were the best and helped me not break down completely - then we figured out another place to go. When we got there it stopped raining and made the lighting PERFECT for the pics and it was AWESOME! Can't wait to show them off to Mick - hehe

We're trying to finalized all the expenses and get them paid now, and we're just reviewing everything and getting all the last things lined up. I'm so excited about all of it, but most importantly that the ones we love are going to be there (still keepin the fingers crossed for a slim chance of Spence and MaryAnn coming out). We figured out ways to save on flowers and food... and that's GREAT. I know it's going to be beautiful and wonderful... a day for Mick and me that I will never forget and cherish forever. It's all coming together -CRAZY!!!! My mom, sisters, in-laws, and friends have eased my mind and stress a ton... THANKS EVERYONE - It means SO much!

Did I tell you all that I got my passport a while ago? That means everything's set for the cruise of a lifetime -WOOT WOOT! Yeah, I'm SO pumped! Now we just have to wait - DANG!!! 25 days

MY SWEETS

My poor mickly's been so sickly :(

Who know's what's wrong with him - poor guy. He's been on and off of work for a few weeks now. Somethings up with him and nobody can figure it out. We went to the InstaCare a while ago - they sent us to the ER - they had Mick do some test - that didn't show anything - then sent him home with a test - but then couldn't do it - saw the primary care - he's not sure what - saw our friend Ruth... she's having him take some vitamins. He is slowly feeling better, but still lots of abdominal pain and some nausea. I wish I could make him feel better. He keeps a good attitude through it all though - sweet thing. I'm sure we'll figure something out.

He's been SO WONDERFUL with all the wedding stuff. What a catch I've snagged up. He can tell when I'm freaking out over nothing and just need a listening ear. He can tell when I need some me and him time. He can tell when I need to spend some time getting things done instead of relaxing with him (even when I wish I could just relax with him). He makes me smile and laugh through the craziness. He's patient with my craziness. He's enthusiastic and excited about the plans we're making. He's interested in helping with the plans and that makes me SO happy.

He spoiled me on my birthday. He re-assured me and was a support after a hard day at work, we spent time together and he got me all these gifts, we ate dinner together, we went to a movie, he gave me the best card ever and I totally cried when I was reading it. It was perfect. He makes my life so special!

I love family time with Mick. His family is so awesome - we went swimming with Mandy, Joe, and CoopCoop the other day and it was FUN FUN FUN! I loved the 4th and the fireworks, NASCAR, Joe's awesome cookin', going to get even more fireworks with Mick and Mandy and crackin up over the silliness of it all! I love Monique being the best make-up artist in town and helping me for my bridal pics - then Jodi walking in to see the girl party and being like -"WHAT THE...??!!!" I love the phone calls I get from the Mother and Poppi wishing us well, checking in and being great suports. I love that Colby and Jake are so pumped for the wedding and have fun stories that make me laugh ALL THE TIME! I love feeling welcome and loved.

I love that Mick wants to hang with my family and join in on games and discussions and be involved. I love that he scoops up Owen and is a great Uncle to him. I love that my fam thinks the world of him. I love that he thinks my family is funny and fun (and crazy... cause we are and I love it). I love that my family cares about how Mick is feeling and how my Mom and Dad came up to the ER when we went up there for Mick the other day. I love it!!!!!

Well, so I guess we're just waitin'...

but hey, even the waiting is fun!!!

MY TUMMY!!!

2009-05-24T08:28:00.009-06:00

I'm trying to do this colon cleanse thing. I've been looking into them for about a year... ever since i found out my colon SUCKS and was seeing the poop doctor and all (yeah, i feel like an 80 year old). I tried one last summer... well, if you call "trying" giving up after one dose of the drink thing. It was SO disgusting... the powder foam stuff (that you mix in a drink) foams up totally fast, and you're supposed to try to down it before it's a huge mess. I tried to do it and got about a forth of it in me then started dry heaving and puked. It was seriously the most grodey and sick thing ever. So, I gave up for a while. There is no way in hell that I was going to do one of those ones that has you starve yourself for 10 days, only drinking these green tea, grapefruit, lemon, flax seed, castor oil smoothies (or whatever). How those ones appeal to anyone is beyond me!

Well, I had my surgery last October and have been cleared by the poop doc. Still, I have struggles with my bowels and being "regular," so I have been thinking about a cleanse again. I found one where you don't have to restrict anything from your diet (YAY), you take a fiber supplement drink in the morning, and take an acidophilus type supplement with food. It is for 7 days, so I'm like "no big deal!" You are supposed to drink lots-o-water... and that's always kindof been a thing for me - I pretty much suck at drinkin enough water. But, it's been going better, so I figured this might me extra motivation to pound the fluids. We'll see.

Here goes...

Just took the first drink packet... yeah... super gross. I got it all down and drank a full glass of water afterward (like I'm supposed to), and....

MY TUMMY HURTS!!

It's probably expanding the guts out of my tum tum!!

MAN!! This sucks! My doc even recommended that I try to do one of these stupid things... but they are the pits! I guess this one's not as bad as the other one, and it's only drinking that sick-o drink once a day... so I think I can do it... but GOSH!! Why would people do these things all the time... CRAZINESS!!

If this doesn't help my poor lil' colon, I'm gonna be mad. Hmm...

I'll need to keep my eye on the ball I guess... here goes nothin'!

Wish me luck....

Over the River, and Through the Woods

2009-05-13T06:15:00.002-06:00

Not to grandma's house, but close... we're hangin out with grandma and the whole family this week! Yep, we're all headed to Green River, UT. I missed it last year, but have heard how fun it was since then, so I am PUMPED! I actually don't even know where it is really, except down in southern Utah. So cool - cause we are going to hit up the Arches or Moab while we're there -WOOT WOOT! I leave this afternoon with Mick. Since we didn't go last year, we are caravanning down there with my mom and dad. So, we are staying at my mom's boss' cabin... I hear it's awesome. We are going to hike, and go shooting, and sing songs around the fire, and play in the river... WAY FUN! Some of us are bringing tents and all that to get more of a "camping" feel if we want to for a night or whatever. The cool thing is that everyone is going: Spencer and fam, Seth and Abby, Shelbs and fam, Sara and Trent, Mom and Dad, me and Mick - all the kid-o's!! It's going to be WARM too!! Seriously - it's going to be in the mid-80's! YAY! So, needless to say... I'm excited and will post some pics when we get back. Hopefully I won't fry while I'm there ;)

It's Birthday Time!!

2009-05-03T08:52:00.003-06:00

It's Mick's birthday today!!!

Yesterday we hung out with my family after I worked and he took some finals. We had a great time bowling and laughing together. Yeah, bowling is NOT my area of expertise, but I always have a good time. Hopefully one of these days I'll get into the triple digits -haha. Oh well. After we hit the lanes and ate, we headed to the movies and saw that new X-men movie - Wolverine. It was really good. It was just a great day. Lots of smiles, laughs, hugs, pictures... it was one of those days where you wish it could just keep on going.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!!

33 reasons why I love you (and this is just a start)

1- my life has never been happier, than how it is now with you

2- you make me laugh all the time (you crack me up)

3- you're a hard worker

4- you make everyone around you smile and feel welcome

5- you hold me at night

6- you have a passion for learning and share your knowledge and passion with me

7- you let yourself be vulnerable with me

8- you're a great cook (yummmm)

9- I feel safe with you

10- you are so generous

11- your smile melts my heart

12- you are tender with me and Charlie

13- you're so much fun and enthusiastic at sporting events... tons of fun

14- you like to do a little of everything and try new things

15- you dazzle me when you play the guitar and sing to me

16- you can fix all the stuff I break (sorry)

17- you know I forget things and you remind me so I don't

18- you open my doors

19- you love the way I look (even when I feel gross) and you make me feel beautiful

20- you give me massages

21- you take me out

22- you do the dishes

23- you're so dang smart

24- you love kids and they love you

25- you hold my hand

26- you take care of me when I'm sick, and pretty much every regular day too

27- you have a genuine laugh that's heartfelt and spreads to others

28- you love your country and have sacrificed for it

29- you show respect to your elders

30- you are enthusiastic and share awesome stories with me

31- you don't make me feel dumb when I fart (yep, I said it) or other stuff to embarrass myself

32- you plan fun stuff for us (YAY CRUISE!!)

33- you asked me to be your wife

1,2,3

I LOVE YOU

EATEN ALIVE!

2009-04-24T06:50:00.008-06:00

Mick and I went up to SaltAir to get our engagements pics taken on Wednesday. I was SO pumped to go up and have a beachy look to the photos and hopefully have an amazing sunset... and... we were super lucky and got a great one!! SUNSETS ARE MY FAVE! So, I am so glad we went up and got them done. It was fun, but here's the deal... beauty is pain man! Check out my face the next morning...and this is today...Seriously!!! OOUCH! I itch SO bad!! Who would have thought... it snowed last week, might snow again today, and yet the mosquitoes are still this rampant out there. Ridiculous!!

But, then again... look at what we captured...

BEAUTIFUL NIGHT... BEAUTIFUL PICS!!!

Painful aftermath... DANG!!!!

Thanks Mick for putting up with those "buggers" -hehe!

Random Questions

2009-04-19T09:12:00.015-06:00

Here's the 10 that I got from Shelly's blog:
1. What is one thing you want to learn to make before you die?

pretty music via the guitar

2. What is one thing you avoid doing, for fear of humiliation?

skiing; going dancing - even though I love dance

3. If money weren’t an issue, what is the first thing you would buy?

a nice house - with this economy it's a no brainer... Best time to buy!

4. What is one of your favorite blog posts you’ve ever written?

my "Funny Surgery Moments" post (i'm not really sure why though), and the "Believe You Can" essay I wrote.

5. Would you rather have a personal chef or a personal trainer?

are you kidding.... that's a no brainer - A personal chef!!!!

6. What’s a weird quirk you have?

when I wake up in the morning or right before I fall asleep, if I'm still kinda drowsy, I rub my feet together for a little bit - weird. I have to face the door while I'm sleeping at night or I sleep like crap until I turn to face the door... again, weird.

7. If you could invent/breed any kind of animal, what would it be?

dogs that stayed looking like puppies, but didn't act like puppies

8. What was the first movie you ever cried in?

don't know... but I bawled when I saw the Lion King... when Mufasa died... BAWLED!!!!!

9. What do you want right now, at this very minute?
food - I'm hungry

10. What are a few of your greatest fears, and have they ever happened to you?
*-Becoming addicted to something unhealthy - it's happened and that's why the fear is there.

*-Truly hurting or disappointing someone to the point where I can't make it better - yeah.

*-Losing the ones I love - I've lost animals and some old friends, and yes, I still think about them and miss them... and it still makes me cry.
*-being completely unaware of some major flaw that everyone else sees but me, and I look like an idiot or a jerk for not realizing it. I think this has happened too (maybe I was aware but was too insecure to look at it... hmmm)

Here are some more I found... these are much simpler though...

1.Where were you 3 hours ago? Just waking up and getting ready for work.

2. Who are you in love with? Mick

3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? I bet so

4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Yep... my scrub pants and lots of liqiud, pink medicine.

5. When is the last time you went to the mall? 2 days ago to make an exchange

6. Do you have a car worth over $2,000? it better be worth more than that with my car payment!!

7. When was the last time you drove out of town? I cvan't even remember... that sucks.

8. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? I wish...

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? water - YAY!! I'm trying to drink more water and I'm doing pretty well with it I think...

10. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? Total car wash... I think it's fun!!

11. Last food that you ate? Oatmeal - I LOVE OATMEAL!!

12. Where were you last week at this time? here at work

13. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? yep... clothes for engagement pics - totally cute

14. When is the last time you ran? When it was a blizard the other day and I was running inside to save myself from freezing. Yeah, now it's 70 degrees outside - weather is crazy around here!

15. What's the last sporting event you watched? NASCAR via TV... i hope to go to a Bee's game soon though.

16. What is your favorite animal? Charlie

17. Your dream vacation? ha!! I'm going on it in August - cruise baby!!

18. Last person's house you were in? ours; but Orange and Hubble's other than that

19. Worst injury you've ever had? I broke my clavicle, but it didn't hurt nearly as bad as when someone hit a homer during a softball tournament and it landed on my shoulder way on the other side of the park... beyond outfield. THAT WAS BRUTAL!!!

20. Have you been in love? certainly

21. Do you miss anyone right now? Shelly... and my cat Norah (I always miss her)

22. Last play you saw? Does STOMP count??

23. What are your plans for tonight? lounging with Mick and planning

24. Who is the last person you sent a MySpace message or comment? I haven't had a myspace account in years... who knows

25. Next trip you are going to take? Green River to stay in a cabin with the fam... I'm excited.

26. Ever go to camp? several different kinds of "camp" I suppose

27. Were you an honor roll student in school? yeah

28. What do you want to know about the future? ummm, I don't think I would want to know alot of things.. that would be weird. I think the future can be changed, so I'm not so sure about this one. I guess I would want to know if Spencer will be able to make it to the wedding.

29. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Nope... I don't usually.

30. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit? Yeah... what woman isn't?

31. Where is your best friend? Idaho

32. How is your best friend? Rejuvinated

33. Do you have a tan? nope, and never will

34. What are you listening to right now? Some old 80's movie that Mick's watching

35. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? Yeah... why????

36. What does your last text message say? "No problem at all. You did a good job today!"

37. Do you like hot sauce? NO!!! I just can't take it

38. Do you need to do laundry? Folding

39. Are you someone's best friend? Hope so

40. Are you rich? In ways, definitely

Happy Keester

2009-04-10T16:46:00.003-06:00

My sis sent me this, and I loved it-

hehe
Happy Keester everyone!

DECIDED

2009-04-08T08:02:00.004-06:00

So, Thanks to advice that rang true... I've made up my mind about my employment. YAY!

It's so hard for me to decide things like this, cause I think I'll be stuck with it forever. I remember someone explaining to me a long time ago that it's ok to make a thought out decision and roll with it to see where it takes you, and then if it doesn't work out how you planned, and you need to make a change, you can do it then. That has brought me peace of mind from time to time. I am chosing to keep the Discovery House job that is part-time and in the mornings, then also keep the PRN job at UNI. I called the staffing people up there to ask about what I can expect to be available for shifts, and they said if I am willing to work evening shifts and some weekends, I should be able to pick up around 32-40 hrs/week!!! That is a blessing! These are the 2 jobs I really want to do, and I will have more evenings available to spend with Mick and family. Also, both of these jobs will have room for growth and to further my career in psych nursing. So, it's decided... and if it doesn't work out... I can make a change down the road. I am notifying Aspen Ridge today, and that kind of thing is hard for me. I hate "letting people down," and that's on the simplest level - it goes really deep into my core beliefs and I am trying to fight with some of those irrational thoughts. For now, I'll focus on how excited I am to really focus on what I love and who I love, instead of trying to please people who I don't even know. I think I will be able to do that as I get excited about spending more time with Mick and family, and on my psych nursing career. Phewww! No more hashing it out - WAHOO!

PS - THANKS SHELLY!!

10 THINGS

2009-04-07T17:07:00.000-06:00

List 10 things that bug you....and 10 things you're eager for... and invite 10 people to do the same
10 things that bug...

1. Bread crumbs in the stick of butter, or the tub you keep in the fridge. I'm the same way with jam and peanut butter. Use a different knife people, or at least scrape out the food that doesn't belong in the jar... Sick

2. When the sign on the 2 lane road says, "keep right except to pass," and everyone just drives in the left hand lane... and they are being passed on the right. Are these guys illiterate or just suck at driving period? hmmm...

3. Parents who smoke with kids in the car with them. Seriously, what are you thinking? Way to ruin their lives with disease. Gold star for you!

4. Kids in the middle of the street when I'm coming home and then they stay in the middle of the street and take their sweet time moving, with me stopped and waiting for the road to be clear. I know they're just kids, but hasn't anyone taught them to get out of the road when a car is there? Where are these kids' parents??

5. When you're being relieved at work and waiting for the next nurse (or whom ever) to come on shift so you can leave... they show up 25 minutes late and act like there is nothing wrong, like they were on time, and don't apologize or anything. They seem like the most entitled people ever and think their time is more important than anyone elses. SO RUDE!

6. When people block intersections (when it's obvious that traffic is slowed and stopped, so it should be obvious that the intersection will be blocked if you pull into it. Wait until it's clear dummies)!!

7. When there is an empty roll of toilet paper in the holder thing, and a new roll sitting ontop of it. Is it that hard to throw the old one away and replace it with the new one? LAME

8. Girls who go to the gym to look pretty with their makeup all done and hair cute with jewelry and all that. Wait... WHAT?????

9. How I am so forgetful about things. Sometimes I get so mad at myself when it's one thing after another... i hate that about me and I don't know what the heck it's from. Then when I finally do remember something and people are certain i'm remembering it wrong (or not at all)cause I'm known for forgetting things -AGGHHH!

10. When I can't find my keys in the bottom of my purse - (they're there, but it takes me forever to grab em cause... i don't know... there's too much crap in there or something... or I am lame and just don't feel them in there). I get instantly and majorly annoyed (at myself) with this one! Thinking about it right now is making my pulse increase I swear - haha.

10 things I'm eager for...
1. My life with Mick - seriously, I'm happier than ever and I'm so excited for our future is together. I'm so lucky!

2. Warmer weather so I can be outside and look at the beautiful stars at night without freezing my behind off! The stars are SO bright out where I live and I can't wait to enjoy them more... especially with my babe.

3. Starting my career in nursing- YAY! I'm excited for all the opportunities that have popped up in my path and I'm eager to see where they take me.

4. Of course the wedding!! I went to see Heritage Gradens again yesterday with Mick's mother and realized that each time I go there I love it more and more. I can't wait. It's perfect. Everything is on track so far and we're getting close!

5. And the HONEYMOON!! Did I mention we're going on a carribean cruise! How lucky are we and Mick got a steal of a deal. Neither of us has been on a cruise and I don't even know what to think, but I'm sure we're going to have the time of our lives.

6. Baseball and Football season. Mick and I LOVE going to the Bee's and the Utes games. Going to a Bee's game was our first date, so I always feel a little extra sentimental and special when we go... plus, it's just a blast. I love 'em.

7. Seeing how things go as I am starting to exercise and go to the gym regularly. I am seeing a trainer and it's been really hard to get into the groove of going, but I am starting to really like it and feel better, more energy, happier, and all that. I thought it would make me feel more self conscious, but I think now I have more confidence actually. Weird. I mean, there are hard days where I feel dumb and more uncomfortable, but there are more days where I feel good. So, I'm eager to see how I'll continue and any results, etc. We'll see...

8. Eager to see my buddies! Shelly is coming out to visit again, and I'll be seeing more friends and all that when I get hitched. I'm looking forward to catching up with people in July, and I can't wait for Shelly to come - wahoo!!

9. Growing families - My sister-in-law is preggers and I can't wait to help babysit and love the little one - as well as help her through all the ups and downs of pregnancy. Plus, I have the cutest neice and nephews EVER and love them dearly. I can't wait for more family. Family is GREAT!

10. Being more available to hang out with my sweetheart more; see movies that I have missed for the last... forever; hanging out with family on Sundays and whenever else; taking sisters and mom shopping like I used to (and becoming financially stable so I can do those things); loving life and all the people around me!!

10 peeps
1. Mick
2. Shelly
3. Shelby
4. Brittany
5. Orange
6. Hubble
7. Courtney C.
8. MaryAnn
9. MaryLynn
10. EVERYBODY

Hmmmm....

2009-04-05T08:31:00.006-06:00

What to do?
After I've been graduated from nursing school (and passed boards - YAY), I have been looking at employment opportunities. I just finished off my last two weeks at Woodland Park Care Center and have started working at the Discovery House and I'm loving it. The Discovery House is open from 5:30am-11:00am during the week and from 7:30am-10:00am on Saturdays and Sundays. So, that leaves me time to get another job... and I'd need to cause I only get about 25 hours a week at the Discovery House. So, I went in to check out Aspen Ridge Care Center and they hired me on the spot. At first they said they only had PRN shifts (as needed, with no guaranteed hours), but I went in this week and now they have a full time evening position available. That would be 4 or 5 eight hour shifts... the shifts are from 2:00pm-10:00pm. If I keep both of these jobs, it would work fine.
But here's the thing. Now, I also was offered a PRN position at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute. Why would I want 3 jobs and no life other than work??? Well, I really want this job because it pays the most money/hr; they will give me 50% OFF of tuition at the U and $3000/year for tuition on top of the discount; psych nursing is where I want to focus my nursing; I want to get my Nurse Practitioner at the U; my best friend from nursing school works there; and they are building another 60 bed unit and will have a lot of room for growth in the company. All SUPER perks, but now I don't know what to do about my other jobs... how to juggle things to where I know I will have steady income (with set hours and shifts instead of just as-needed shifts).
I love the Discovery House and I like the fact that if I am scheduled a shift there, I have the whole afternoon and evening available. If I am scheduled on the weekend, i only have to go in for 3 hours in the morning. I like getting up in the morning (even though I'm tired) cause it gets me up and going for the day. A swear, if I didn't have to get up for something, I could sleep in til noon... but then I feel lazy, sluggish, and kinda sad all day (so even though it's a WAY early time to get up for the Discovery House, I appreciate what it does for my emotional health and energy level). I love the job too. Everyone is way nice here and it feels like a little family kinda. The employees joke with each other and I like the patients too. They seem grateful for what we are doing for them. I like that in working here I am also working in the psychiatric field that I love and want to pursue.
Aspen Ridge is a super nice facility. It also seems like everyone gets along really well there. The company also has room for growth - they are building a facility in Provo. The company is doing really well in their financial position and they have no debt. They pay for new facilities completely before they start to build them. Not that it really matters to me as a nurse, but it seems that they take care of their employees, they give back to them cause they don't have to pay out tons of money on mortgages or loans and all that. The director said that the person who had been employed there for the shortest amount of time had been there 2 years. That seems pretty good. They almost pay as much as UNI, so that's a definite plus as well. It's a transitional care center, so mostly rehab for patients who need physical therapy after a hip or knee surgery, or with complications from age, etc. I am excited to start there as well. I start orientation there this next week. The only thing that I don't like about full time at Aspen Ridge is that they are evening shifts, so I'll spend evenings at work instead of with Mick and family. Mick works during the days, so it will really effect how much I see him. THAT SUCKS!!
So, there's the dilemma I guess. AGGGH! I hate making important decisions. My brains tell me to work at Aspen Ridge and as needed at UNI, cause I could save more money and it would help with paying for the wedding and everything. But my heart is with psych nursing... but I really like the facility at Aspen Ridge.... but then Discovery House is going really well and they really like me there... but they don’t pay as much or offer me enough hours to work there by itself... but I like having the evenings off... but... but... but... AGGHHH!
I am for sure taking the UNI as needed position cause the benefits are unreal and it's what I really want to do and is a stepping stone into furthering my education. I just don't know what to plan on for how many shifts I'll get or whatever. So, I think I'm going to call the lady that hired me and ask what is typically available for as needed shifts. You know... is more like 2 a month, or 2 a week that I could pick up. Maybe knowing that info would help me decide.
I don't know. DANG! Any suggestions???

My Sweetheart

2009-03-29T09:51:00.006-06:00

TAG YOU'RE IT!
Answer the questions about your sweetheart…

*What is your husband’s name?
Soon to be Mick C. Rasband

*How long have you been married?
We'll be married on July 31st this year!!!

*How long did you date?
It will be 2 years on May 14th - YAY

*How old is he?
32

*How old are you?
25

*Who eats more?
He eats more, but I eat more often I think.

*Who said I love you first?
Not sure... hmmm...

*Who is taller?
Mick - he's 6'3"

*Who can sing best?
We both can sing and hearing him sing is my FAVE!! I sing pretty well too though.

*Who is smarter?
Mick - he's practically a genius! He helped me study through nursing school and he loves to look things up that he's not sure about... he's a history buff too!

*Who does laundry?
Both - we usually do our own. He does the dishes mostly by himself though. Does that mean I'm a bad finace?

*Who pays bills?
Mick mostly. I get way too stressed with bills sometimes, so he pays em but we both pitch in.

*Who sleeps on the right side?
Mickolas

*Who mows the lawn?
No lawn to mow... dang

*Who cooks dinner?
Mick's the chef... I kinda suck at cooking, and he can whip something up with no problems. We need to do better at cooking meals at home, and I'm trying to learn his tips to help out with that.

*Who drives?
I'll drive if Mck is real tired, but he'll drive usually - I make him nervous...haha.

*Who is first to admit they are wrong?
I think I am, and he probably thinks he is... we're both kinda stubborn.

*Who kissed who first?
Don't ya kinda do that together??

*Who asked who out first?
He asked me out first. Our first date was to the SL Bee's game - SO FUN!! He was adorable!

*Who wears the pants?
I guess I do... again, is that bad??

I TAG ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO DO IT!!!!!

Nursing School!

2009-02-28T09:33:00.007-07:00

So...
I graduated!!!

Yep, I graduated on February 6th!! Yeah, things have still been crazy busy, but it feels so great to have accomplished nursing school! Man, it's been hard work, but SO worth it. At my pinning ceremony I had Mick there supporting me, my family, Mick's family, friends... I felt so proud and happy. If it were not for all those people (and others who couldn't make it) I'm not sure if I could have gotten through it. THANKS EVERYONE!!!

So, here is my beautiful mother and grandmother. Mom was SUCH a help with everything for my pinning ceremony. What a life saver! Love you, Mom!! I was SO excited to see my Grandma... she is super supportive and came out all the way from CA to see me on my big day. Thanks G'ma... it meant a lot to me :)

My loving parents - I couldn't have done this without you- seriously! Love you so much!!!
and I love this pic... so cute of us!!

Mick's family is so wonderful! They all came too - how sweet is that. Mick's mom and poppi sent their warm wishes my way from Hawaii and I was thinking of them too. I'm so lucky and glad to be a part of Mick's family! I love you guys!

Check out my adorable niece. How cute is she??!!! These were my nursing books... and there were even more that we didn't bring for "the stack." The stack o' books was almost as tall as Hope, and she thought that was crazy!! Can you believe all that info in only 18 months??? It's insane, but the stack did make for cute pics.

So, I take my RN boards on Monday, March 2nd. I was originally scheduled to take it that Thursday (March 5th) but my friend told me about checking the NCLEX website to see if there were any cancelations, so I did and I grabbed up Monday... YIKES! No really, I'm feeling ok about it, but I am for sure studying all weekend long. I'm glad that my appointment is now at 2pm instead of 8am... cause I would have had to wake up way early and fight with morning traffic to get to the testing center in time. Yeah, it would have been nice to just get it over with early in the day, but I'm glad I can now sleep in, get a nice breakfast and try to take it easy. I promised myself I wouldn't try to cram and freak myself out about studying that morning, cause, honestly, I think it would do more harm than good at that point. Pretty sure it would just stress me out for the test. So, I'm studying this weekend and then trying to relax that morning. HA HA- we'll see how that goes...

WISH ME LUCK!!!

Oh... so I wanted to post this too, cause my preceptor blogged about me and our clinicals together (YAY for copy and paste!!). So, here's more info (and pics) about my experience in the last semester of my nursing program. Thanks Heather - YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
ENJOY:

Sheryl is a student at Ameritech College of Nursing. I had the privilege to work with her one on one during her final semester of school. She is so smart and quick to pick up on things. Now that she is finished I really miss working with her. She is going to be an awesome RN!

Poor girl was sick with a cold her last day with me. She had to wear a mask so she wouldn't pass it along.

Here we are at about 5:30 am at the end of our shift.

Did I mention the most exciting news ever?

2009-01-24T14:33:00.015-07:00

I'M ENGAGED!!!!!

So, I wrote this post a few days ago and right when I went to post it, I clicked on the wrong button and it erased!! I was SO mad (cause I haven't posted in FOREVER and it took FOREVER to write it). Oh well - so here we are again...

I thought I was being totally sneaky when Mick’s sister, Monique, called me before Christmas and told me to make sure Mick and I had New Year’s Eve off of work… because she was going to get us a night’s stay up at the Homestead in Midway for our Christmas gift. I was SO excited cause we both needed a little break from our busy lives and I’d never been up to the homestead. I had heard a ton a good things about it and was pumped to see what all the fuss was about… and it was cool to be part of “the secret.” Funny thing was that the “secret” was not what I thought it was… it was MORE!!!

Mick and I had both worked the night shift the night before we headed up there, so we were anxious to go up and relax. We packed our things and drove on up. It was a great drive up the canyon. We got there and checked in. When we were checking in they said there was a big New Years Eve party that night, with a country band, food, and all that. Super cool! We got to our awesome room – IT ROCKED!! I had to take some pics…

It was so cute and comfy – fireplace and all. We changed into our nice clothes and then got ready for a great dinner. We went to the gourmet buffet they had going on and stuffed ourselves ‘til we were sick (not really, but it was SO good and we definitely got full). They had things like prime rib, duck, salmon, and all these fancy shmancy desserts and side dishes. We had a table for two right by the fireplace.

It was so romantic. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Mick. He looked so good and… let’s be honest, I’m a sucker for romantic settings with a great lookin’ Mick!! After we had our fill (and then some), we decided to take a walk outside around the premises. It was so pretty with the undisturbed snow and the trees and everything around. We were pretty much the only ones outside cause it was pretty cold, but we bundled up and enjoyed our walk together… holding hands and keeping warm. We walked by the gazebo and down by the pond with the ducks, then checked out all the huge icicles. Seriously, these things went from the roof to the ground – out of control.

We went back to the awesome room to rest for a bit before the big party, but were soon back in the action with all the New Year’s fun! When we entered into the room where the party was, they handed Mick and me each a bandana and a cow bell to ring in the New Year with – how fun!! It was way cute. We hung out and ate some food, did a little dancing and laughed a lot. The music was pretty good too!! Mick asked me if I wanted to ring in the New Year at the party or if I wanted a moment with just the two of us, and I was selfish and wanted Mick to myself of course, so just before midnight we went back to the room and flipped on the TV to see the last few moments of the countdown. We had a hot/jetted tub in the big bathroom, so I went to start the water for it… and that must have been when Mick grabbed the ring. He yelled from the other room that there was 20 seconds left and to come in. So, I ran up to him and held onto him tight with a big hug as we both counted down to each other. At the count of midnight we gave each other the greatest hug ever – long and tight and wonderful!! Then when we let go, he dropped to a knee.

I was totally shocked and said the most stupid thing ever… “babe…?? What are you…. Did you drop something???” LOL LOL LOL!! Can you all believe that??!! What a dummy I am… seriously, I’m sure that didn’t help Mick’s nerves. It all just came out like a rambling stutter, but Mick just looked up at me with his gorgeous eyes, smiled and said, “Now that we’ve started the New Year together, I think it’s time for us to start our lives together. Would you continue to fill my life with happiness and marry me?” Now, that’s about the sweetest thing he ever could say- it was perfect!! He slipped the ring on my finger after I said yes and it was (and still is, and always will be) SO BEAUTIFUL!! The ring is just what I would have picked. It’s elegant and classy and … perfect for me!! I don’t know how I am so lucky to have such a great guy.

So, there’s been discrepancy regarding if I said “yes” right away or not. I thought I did, but he asked me again in a few moments, so I must not have said it loud enough… or maybe he was so nervous that he missed it… or I was so shocked that I only thought it and didn’t say it… who knows? I was completely unsuspecting of a proposal. I thought I would be able to tell… you know… like he would give it away by being totally unglued all night or something… but to me he seemed so calm and just adorable the whole evening. Mick says that he WAS completely nervous all night, and I believe him, but he just didn’t show it at all. Maybe I’m just love struck…

Oh, it was perfect!! We got some sparkling cider and forgot to bring an opener for it, so we called the front desk and they brought on by the room. Of course I told the gentleman who brought it by that Mick just proposed, so then I asked him if he would take a picture of us. He did and here they are…

My phone was pretty much dead, and Mick’s too. We sent mass texts to people, but then both our phones died so we didn’t really talk to very many people. I did get a chance to talk to my mom… and we both screamed and cried together. Ahhhh....

The next morning we woke up and packed our things to check out. We went to breakfast at their awesome grill and stuffed ourselves again – hey, you only get this chance once!! We checked out the cute ducks on the pond before we sat down to eat... and caught a little video:

Then we checked out and headed over with our swim suits to The Crater. It’s this giant crater that’s a big cave thing with a natural spring/pool thing inside – totally awesome!! Mick got scuba certified there and I’d been wanting to go, so it was great! We jumped on in and Mick was telling me all about scuba diving. I can’t wait to get certified myself and then we can go tons of exotic places and see some great underwater life together. We’ve already checked out places we want to go. (Oh, and I saw my nursing instructor, Julie, when we were paying to go in, so she was the first to congratulate us in person – cool). After the Crater, we went to swim in the regular pool for a bit before we hit the locker rooms to change. The pool was empty besides us too, so that was nice.

After checking out and swimming and all that, we got ready to drive off, and saw these crazy, natural ice sculptures that were around the parking lot. Of course… another picture moment. I guess the Homestead starts water going at these sculptures and will just let the water form whatever sculpture it will, so it’s different every year. Yay - another excuse to make going up to the homestead a yearly tradition – hehe.

So, that was the story – the best engagement story I could have ever dreamed of. Mick is the perfect guy for me. He is so loving and thoughtful, he makes me laugh, he’s as cute and handsome as ever, he’s passionate, intelligent, and treats me like a princess! I am so in love, so lucky, so blessed, fortunate, and HAPPY!!!

Thanks to Monique for everything and all of Mick's family! Apparently everyone knew about it and I was clueless - all along I thought I was the one keeping the secret surprise!! Oh well, the Rasbands are great at surprises and they got me good...and in the best way. I love you guys!! I love you Mick! Thanks for making my New Years one I'll remember and cherish forever!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Christmas Continues - YAHOO

2008-12-29T05:41:00.005-07:00

I ended up working Christmas Eve, so when I came home around 7am, I was welcomed with a bright shining tree surrounded with gifts from Santa and my sweetheart. I was a little loopy lookin in all the pics, but that's ok... I was a little tired (oh well).

First we made some hot chocolate and dug into stockings. Of course we had to do Charlie's first (youngest goes first don't ya know). He actually was way into it all. Check him out... he's tuggin' on a chew toy as he's sitting in his new little dog bed. Too funny, he loved it!!!

And here he is when it was it was all said and done...
Then it was time for me and my sweets. He's so ADORABLE!!!
We had tons of fun opening gifts from each other and had a great time.

Then I went to bed for a while and went over to Mick's family's after I woke up. Once again, I've gotta say how much I LOVE family. What a wonderful thing it is to be surrounded by people you love and who love you back.

With Mick's family we hung out and laughed together as well. We watched little cooper in his first Christmas. The cameras were going wild. I wish I had more time to just go over and chill. They are so great. It was a wonderful day. It ended nicely as we just enjoyed one another's company.

Don't I look relaxed...

The Holidays!!!

2008-12-29T05:14:00.007-07:00

EVERINGHAM FAMILY CHRISTMAS FUN!!!!

The Holiday break has been WONDERFUL!!! Isn't family great!! Honestly, this year has been one of the best in my book. My family had our little Christmas the Sunday before the 25th because we all had so many places to go. So, we all decided to have our day a little early so everyone could be there. It was awesome! How fun it is to see children in all their wonderment with Christmas Day, Santa, and all the magic!! It was really touching to have everyone join in the fun and remember what it was like when we were all kids. My niece and 2 nephews were adorable. Lincoln was hilarious and so sweet all day. He helped pass out the gifts and was excited to open his own too. He was passing out hugs to all, and that was a great Christmas gift from him...He even gave one to his Curious George monkey (hehe)...

Then, he was ready to go out in the snow... I mean, who wouldn't be ready for some snow fun in all that snow we got??Of course, Lincoln wasn't the only one givin out some love - Owen was in on it too. What a cutie!!

We played games, ate some food, played more games, laughed... had a great time all around! I was spoiled rotten, cried at touching moments (cause I'm a bawl baby lately), took a nice nap... what else could you ask for? Gotta love family!!!!

Christmas Time!!

2008-12-17T03:07:00.010-07:00

So, today really felt like Christmas to me. I had trouble getting home from work this morning in usual time because of the snow. Even though there wasn't a ton of it, it was SO slippery and a semi almost ran into me as he tried to make a speedy turn despite the weather. Crazy traffic kinda reminds me of "Christmas Chaos" - haha. When I got home, I took Charlie out and he went buck wild romping around in the snow!!! It was so funny. Here are some pics. Charlie is trying to bury his fury head here...
And here are the after effects...

This video will help you capture the moment:

Too funny!!!

I got into some kind of funky cleaning spree, got around to shopping, and wrapped some presents too. We've had our Christmas tree done for a week or so, but I kept forgetting to get a picture... well, I finally did and here it is...

Charlie is excited too... Check him out just hangin' by the tree - He's out of control!

I LOVE THE FEELING OF CHRISTMAS!!! The tree somehow always helps me to feel the spirit of Christmas. It's my favorite thing to walk in the door and see everything all nice and clean with the tree lights turned on welcoming me when I come home from work. It's like whatever I was thinking about before is gone and I feel peaceful and calm. What a magical thing!!! What a magical time of year!!!

My niece is the best!

2008-12-15T05:06:00.008-07:00

My awesome, cute, beautiful, sweet niece is the best! She is SO fun to take out and hang with. I'm glad that I can take what little time I have to do something with her every once in a while. So, she recently turned the big 8 years old!! I took her out this last week and we got our toes done! We got glitter toes, so that was super cool (thanks Mandy for the great idea!!). We were singing made-up songs all night and crackin' each other up. Then we went to grab some ice cream (who can't use ice cream in 30 degree winter weather??). Mick met up with us after that and drove us through the Thanksgving Point lights display - it was GREAT!! We were singing along, checking out all the snowmen, reindeer, elves... and then wondering why there was a lone ZIONS BANK light display up with all the other holiday lights... oh well. What a fun time though. We've already got our next date planned out. Can't wait!

Hope got baptised and I seriously bawled like 3 times - I'm crying over everything lately. She just looked so beautiful and calm and it was just a great day! Look at how great she is with her little cuz!! I just love her to pieces!!!

What have you done in your life?

2008-11-17T12:28:00.001-07:00

Hey hey everyone… so school is the most time consuming thing ever and… yeah, I have sucked at posting on my blog. So, I had about 2 seconds in between homework and waiting for my water to boil to make a delicious Mac n’ Cheese lunch (yummmm), so here’s a fun post (I thought). This is a list of things I have done, haven't done, and possibly some day will do... The BOLD ones are the things that I have done. I’d love to see about your responses too, so join in the fun!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii- I WISH
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning- not very bad though
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill – yesterday… haha
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping – I think I did when I was like 14… naughty naughty
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run – nope, that would have required coordination and athletic ability
32. Been on a cruise – I want to so bad!!!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied – when I was a kid, a dollar was GREAT!
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa – that would be sweet… I want to do some humanitarian aid there
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted – (not ever painted, but have been drawn in pencil by an aspiring artist)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (it was closed when I went, dangit!! I was on the bottom though… does that count… I guess I’ll have to go back, shucks!)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling – gotta get certified for scuba soon
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business – just did
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies – nope, but I definitely bought some
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter – maybe I can with my bro Colby!!
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar – no way!
72. Pieced a quilt – probably in young women’s
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle – with Spence… it was way fun!!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life – not directly, but maybe I can someday
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Funny Surgery Moments

2008-10-15T03:32:00.010-06:00

Mick tells me that when I was down and out, pumped full of medicine, that I did some funny things. Who knew? So, when they wheeled me into my room, there was a picture on the wall of some field and a sunset. Now, I love sunsets. I'm always telling Mick to look up at the sky (even when he's driving, which isn't the best thing for me to do) or to take a break from work to go check out the sunsets. It's kinda my thing that I love. So, apparently when I looked up at this picture on my room wall, I was beside myself. I said, "Ohhhh, Mick!!! Look at that picture!! Isn't that the most gorgeous thing you've ever witnessed in your life??" Seriously, it was ok... but who was I kidding. I was so dramatic and into this picture on the wall. He said I made several references to it throughout that night and the following day, like I had never seen a sunset before. And, I've seen much better anyway. Well, I'm looking through my camera the other day and see that Mick took a snapshot of the mentioned picture while I was in the hospital. I asked him why and he said I was adamant that he capture the moment so I could look at it forever. WOW - talk about one looped out girl. So, here's the pic (sorry about the glare) and you guys can laugh for yourselves. It's ok and all... but geeze, give me a break! I crack myself up sometimes...

Funny moment #2: Right before I went into surgery, my potassium level was pretty low, so they gave me some IV potassium and had to check my blood kind of frequently before and after the procedure. You'd think I'd let the lab people just do their thing... I mean, I've had blood drawn it feels like hundreds of times and have never really felt the need to step in to help. Well, I guess this time was different. The lab was training a girl and I didn't care if she tried on me, so I told her to go for it. She missed. So, since I had been poked so much, there weren't a ton of choices left after she blew the "primo" spot. So, the trainer guy tried right by my IV site. He got it and got one tube attached. It was taking longer then normal to fill... I don't know if that was my cue or trigger or what, but I thought "hmmm... that looks funny..." so I reached over and.... popped the tourniquet. After I did, I think I realized what I did, and felt totally retarded. I was like, "Uhhh... I....uhhhh.... I really don't know why I just did that." Now, you nursing friends of mine know that that pretty much ruined this guy's chance of filling the other tubes from that site. He got a tiny amount in the left over tubes, and sent the down to the lab to see if they would even accept them as pathetic little samples and of course they didn't. So, he had to come back up to my room to poke me yet again. I tell you what, I've got bruises everywhere! I was such a helpful patient!

I'm Home!!

2008-10-11T21:33:00.004-06:00

So, I'm finally back to where I can sleep on a bed that's not made of vinyl so I won't sweat all over while I'm sleepin' - YES, I'm home from the hospital!! YAHOO!!

Man, it's nice to be back at home. The hospital wasn't so bad, but... you know how it goes. I mean, having to measure your pee isn't the most fun thing. Especially when I'm completely confident that the characteristics of the urine showed nothing to be concerned about... It was the same amount and color every time I got up, but of course they still made me measure it - whatever. It's nice now that when someone is coming down the hall or into the room, I know it's my babe, Mick. That means I don't have to worry about someone waking me up and forcing me to walk the hospital halls when my blood pressure is 80's/50's. It's just my Mick and that's the best thing ever!!

So, they took out 10 inches of my sigmoid colon and have 4 laporoscopic sites on my belly. 1 of them is about 2 inches, but the other 3 are tiny! I asked the surgeon to video tape the surgery, and I heard him telling the operating room peeps when I was in there, but he never brought it up the couple of times when he came to check up me after the procedure. Of course I kept telling myself, "remember to ask him about if he video taped it..." and forgot each time. The surgeon was not the most personable guy I've ever met... no where close - typical for a surgeon I guess. When he came to check on me each day, he was there for about a minute each time... "So, is everything ok..... well then, I'll see ya tomorrow." So then today he came in before I left and said, "ok, you're set to go and they have your prescription for you." I was pretty confused when he didn't say anything about taking the staples out of my stomach, so I asked him if they were going to be taken out before I left and he was like, "I can take them out in the office in about a week." Oh, hell no - that would hurt so bad!! After those staples are in too long, the skin starts to grow around them and it kills to remove 'em. So, I asked him to look at them, since he hadn't even looked at the incision the whole time since the surgery, then asked if I could have them taken out and have steri strips put on. So, that's what they did and I left at about 10:00 this morning.

Mick was so cute in asking if he could bring Charlie when he came to pick me up. Of course, how could I resist. I heard Charlie has been in a depression... poor guy. Mick said he gave Charlie a stern talking to about "not jumping on mommy's tummy" and Charlie listened and was great about it. He just looked up at me at first (with his tail waggin' like crazy), then I had him come on my lap and he just laid there the whole drive home - he even fell asleep! That was a first - usually he's staring out the window the entire time and acting crazy... that Charlie loves those dang car rides. But, he listened to dad and we had a nice drive home. I can't believe that in the 3 and 1/2 days I was down and out it changed into winter. That stinks. Good thing Mick drove me up the canyon on Tuesday :) (he's so good to me)

I'll have to talk more about the whole thing next time, cause it's about time for my Lortab/sleep combo. I've got some funny stories (and pics), so stay tuned!!

4 down 1 to go!!

2008-10-05T04:25:00.006-06:00

4 semesters down and 1 to go until I'm officially a RN graduate!! Yahoo!! So, the semesters are 15 weeks long, then I take an exit exam from my school, then register to take my NCLEX... yikes. So, I'm pretty excited about this next semester, although, the week break from school will be greatly appreciated. This last semester I will be doing my Capstone, which is kind-of like my internship. During the first week of class (I think) I'll find out where I'll do the capstone. I asked for somewhere in Utah county cause I might be moving, and hopefully can get a specialty area. I put my preference for oncology or ICU, just cause I haven't done any clinicals in those areas yet and would love to see what they are all about. Who knows though... my school says most of us will go to Med-Surg. I don't really mind Med-Surg, it's just that I haven't seen those other areas and think it would be a good learning experience and I could get a taste of what those areas might be like. With the capstone, I'll be taking World Religions, Critical Care/Med-Surg, Community/Leadership, and a Skills Lab. I think that's all of them. I have 120 hours of my capstone, and 20 hours each of leadership and community. So, I'll be busy, busy, busy as I work full time with all the school. What else is new though.

School has been great so far. I really enjoy it and I feel like I am improving myself all the time. I've made some great friends too! I am pretty sure I'm going on as soon as I can with getting my Bachelors Degree and then hopefully will continue beyond that to get an APRN or Doctorate in Nursing. I've already met with nursing advisors up at the U to see what I need to do to be admitted next fall ('09). I can't wait to be a Runnin' Ute!! So, I'll just be truckin along til then I guess. I can't believe I'm almost done at AmeriTech. I just started in July of '07! It feels crazy, but I love it!

Working as an LPN has been great too. I am learning a lot and I love the residents I work with. I feel like I am getting somewhere with my schooling because I am using the things I have learned... and that makes me feel good.

So, the week off school is definitely nice, but I'm excited to finish up as well. I'll keep you all updated on where I get to do my capstone!!

I'm Nervous

2008-10-05T01:31:00.002-06:00

So, some of you know... but I'm having surgery in a few days, and I'm flippin nervous. I've never had surgery before, so how do I know what to expect? I wonder if I'm going to be one of those patients that are a pain in the rear end, or if I'll be up and trying to walk the halls the day after. I know that's pretty black and white, but who knows. Anyway, I'll be at the IMC (the death star of the IHC empire). That's pretty exciting because it's so new and nice... I mean, if I've gotta be in the dang hospital, it might as well be there! They say I'll be there for 3-5 days after the surgery. I go in on Wednesday morning. I'm a little nervous about how fast I can get back to work too - I can't take off much more than I already requested off, so I hope nothing goes wrong. Another thing is that the surgery is on my colon and all that stuff - so if anything goes wrong, I'll pretty much be wearing Depends diapers by the time I'm 35. Ok, so I might be exaggerating, but maybe I'm not... I mean, the doctor did mention that if I don't get it fixed now that's how things will end up. SCARY!! I'm back in school 1 week after I have the procedure. Hopefully I won't be doped up on Lortabs - haha. Although, Mick was pretty funny when he was looped out on those things, so maybe he's in for a laugh this time. When Mick was there for his surgery in February he had a DVD player in his room, so maybe I can catch up on all the shows that I haven't watched since I started nursing school. I got the Office Season 1 series for my birthday in July and haven't opened it cause there's been NO time. I'll be catching up now, for sure. So anyway, not that it's a way important topic to be discussing, but I figured I had better write about something since I haven't updated this dang blog since August. WOW - I need to do better with that! So, there you go -

See ya next time, friends!

2 new jobs!

2008-08-27T19:04:00.017-06:00

Hey everyone... Mick and I both have new jobs! We are loving them too.

Mick's got a sweet deal working with Varian Medical Systems and they are awesome so far. They are treating him like their own family and Mick's really happy so far. He comes home with big smiles and stories of what's going on at work. I love seeing him so happy with what he's doing. They are helping him and encouraging him (more than we could have imagined) with finishing his schooling. They support him 100% with going to school as he is working for them and they are paying him to do so. Everything about this position
looks promising and it is a huge blessing!
We can't wait to see how it goes.

I just passed my LPN NCLEX boards and am now working with Avalon Health Care at Woodland Park Care Center. I never really thought I would enjoy working in a long-term/rehab center, but I am! I am learning so much and am feeling competent... which makes me feel great! The residents that I work with are filling my heart with love everyday. I am excited to be learning about and dipping my feet into different areas of nursing that I haven't really thought about before. I can't believe that I am actually working as a nurse when it feels like I just started nursing school. I'm loving the way things are going!

Thanks to all of our family and friends who've encouraged me and Mick to keep pushing forward through the tough times. Thanks to you all, we've put one foot in front of the other and it seems that we're seeing a light at the end of a hard tunnel. We love you guys - you know who you are! :)

Believe You Can

2008-05-24T19:44:00.015-06:00

Hey there everyone!! I entered this contest a while ago where I posted my health advice for women. I think what I had to say needs to be heard and practiced more often.
Here it is...

Cliché as it is, I know the phrase, believe you can, has power. After about 8 years of struggling with serious problems of an eating disorder and severe depression, I have realized that I CAN!! I now can do what I want to do and be what I want to be because I have learned to believe that I can.

To start in my recovery from the eating disorder and depression, I not only had to believe that I could do it, but I had to tell myself I was doing it… that very moment. I noticed that while I was in treatment I kept the great fear of, "what if I don’t get better," in the front of my mind. Little did I know that even though I wanted to get better at the time, by my saying, "what if I don’t," my subconscious brain still heard "don’t get better." It was not until I started telling myself everyday, "I am getting better," and "I am recovering," that real progress was made... progress that lasted.

Now, I am in recovery from that horrible addiction and feeling better than I ever thought possible. How did I get here? I started telling myself that I would get here. Then I actually started believing it. Really, the turning point for me was when I turned that thought of "what if I don’t…" to "I know I can." Honestly, I wasn’t completely sure that I was telling myself the truth when I started saying, "I believe I can." But somewhere that doubt that I couldn’t change was being diminished by my little successes and accomplishments. I had to give myself credit for those things of course. Then, I felt that I was actually being real when I told myself I could become what I wanted.

Again, I saw the phrase work miracles as I furthered my college education. After I had struggled so long being sick and depressed, I "knew" I couldn’t finish school. I had always wanted to become a nurse. In high school I was a 4.0 student, then entered college and dropped out 4 times in a row. What had happened was that I had lost all faith in myself while I had become sick. I bashed on myself daily with thoughts of, "I’m not good enough," and, "I am going to fail." Of course, when I told myself those things it became a reality. Well, about a year ago, after being introduced to the power of my thoughts, I figured I would apply to nursing school to give my secondary education another try. Some people thought I was crazy to jump into such an intense program right away. However, I had seen that "believing I can" had worked in my recovery and I wanted to test it out again with other dreams and goals I had. Now, I am one month away from taking my NCLEX boards to become a nurse. I am one of the top students in my class as well and I love going to school every day. I can’t think of anything else that has changed other than my attitude. I now know, "believe I can," and believe I will.

It’s crazy to me how this simple yet profound phrase has changed my life. I was the biggest skeptic I knew, but I am a believer. I want to give my advice to women to tell them to "believe you can." There are so many open doors for us if we take the chance to walk through them. How many doors will you walk through if you believe it’s pointless? If you tell yourself that nothing good will come from walking through the door, then nothing will. If you tell yourself to take the chance and then wait for a wonderful opportunity to come along, I’m sure you will see that goodness pour into your life. It may seem unexpected, but remember to look back at how you believed that you could, and carry that belief into every area of you life!

Thanks for taking time to read what I think - You guys are the best!! Sheryl